Fishing rod support and signal



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R. A. NAGLE FISHING ROD SUPPORT AND SIGNAL Filed April '7, 1950 Fay! Patented Mar. 17, 1953 STATES lATENE' OFFICE FISHING ROD SUPPORT AND SIGNAL Richard A. Nagle, Mansfield, Ohio Application April 7, 1950, Serial No. 154,612

3 Claims. (Cl. L13m-17M) This invention relates to a device for supporting the tip of a fishing rod or a fishing line associated with signalling means by which the strike of a iish occasions a visible signal, thus enabling a iisherman to -conveniently use a number of rods or lines and relax while waiting for a strike on oner another of them.

An 4object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated of improved and simplified construction lending itself to adjustment through a relatively wide range and adapted to operate with accuracy when a fish strikes. Further objects will more particularly appear in the course of the following detailed -description. i .Y

The invention consists in the nov-el const-ruction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly `described and claimed.

One sheet of Vdrawings vaccompanies this speciiication as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the arrangement of a iishing rod with the upper end of the improved device;

Figure 2 isA a vertical cross section taken th-rough the upper end of the supporting device; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the device wh-en in operative position.

Referring to the drawings in which is illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, I indicates a tubular supporting member which is preferably constructed of metal or the like, and which may have its lower end pointed and adapted to be inserted into the sand or soil of the bank, or alternatively as desired, supported by a tripod arrangement (not, shown), 0r in a suitable socket Isuch as an oar-lock socket in a boat or the like, the essential feature being that this tubular supporting member I is intended to be maintained in a vertical position by Isome suitable means when the device is in u-se.

The upper end of the tubular member I is formed as a chamber for a dry cell C by providing an internal abutment, as by means of a transverse pin 3 lextending through the bore of the tubular member. In this chamber 2 at the upper end of the tubular member is positioned a dry cell C having its central electrode '6 outwardly directed, and upon the marginal wall of .the cell C is `su,pported ta compression spring 4,

the upper end of which is threadedly engaged with the threaded end S of a conventional electric light bulb B. The electric light bulb B is slidably engaged in a central bore provided in a cap member 'I adapted to be removably associated with the upper end of the tubular member I as by a bayonet joint formed by an L-slot I0 cut in the upper end of the tub-e I and a laterally projecting pin 9 formed on the cap I, so that the cap 'I can be readily removed when desired, thus permitting the removal of the bulb B, the compression spring 4 and the cell C. As previously indicated the bulb B is freely slidable in -the bore of the cap 'I with its glass end projecting outwardly beyond the outer end of the cap 1 throughout the central orice l8.

By reason of the structure thus far described, it willv be apparent that the bulb B is normally held out of electrical contact with the cell C, but that by a pressure downwardly on the exposed end of the bulb the central contact 5 of the bulb will be brought into electrical contact with the central electrode 6 of the cell, thereby completing a circuit through the bulb and creating a light flash.

Slidably secured upon the exterior of the tube I as by a U-clamp II, is a transverse rest member I6 in the form of a small rod having its upper face provided with a plurality of spaced transverse grooves I8 adapted to receive and -support the tip of the fishing rod R 0r the shing line L if the line is used without a rod. One `end of the supporting bar I6 is rigidly secured, as at I'I, to an arcuate spring I5, the opposite end of which spring I5 is rigidly secured to the U-shaped clamp II, which U-shaped clamp II hasits legs I2-I2 brought into superposed relationship and connected by a clamping bolt I3 associated with a thumb nut I4.

By reason of this structure it will be apparent that the rest rod I6 can be adjusted vertically with respect to the supporting tube I as desired, and that the sensitiveness of the device can be still further increased by selecting the particular transverse groove I8 upon which the rod tip or line is rested.

With the device as described the fisherman will mount the tubular rod I in a vertical position and rest the tip end of his rod or the hand line by placing same in one of the transverse grooves I8 of the rest bar IE. The handle end of the rod will, of course, be rested upon the ground, or some suitable part of the boat, or in the case of a hand line, the end of the line will be secured in some suitable manner. Upon a' strike by a fish,

pressure on the line and rod tip will cause the deection of the rest bar I6 against the tension of the arcuate spring I5, thus causing the rest bar to contact the outer exposed end of the light bulb B and force the light bulb inwardly to make electrical contact with the cell C, thereby illuminating the bulb and giving a visible signal to the sherman that a sh has struck that particular line and that it requires attention.

Various modications Will readilysuggest themselves to those skilled in the art but Within the scope of the present invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A signal device for a fishingrod .comprising a supporting member formed at cnerendwitha socket therein, a closure cap for the socket'having an oriiice therethrough, `an electric cell in the socket, an incandescent light bulb slidably positioned in the socketloetween the cell and cap with the bulb part projecting through the orice in `the cap, springmeans normally-:spacing the confronting -contact points yof the cell :and bulb from one another and providing l.an electrical conduit between the cell .wall fand bulb, a rest 'member to 'support afs'hing rod, and a resilient arm connecting one end of the rest lmember with the supporting member-to maintain the rest member .extending transversely over and spaced above the bulbysaid rest :member 'adapted to be tilted under increased pressure `by the shing rod .to contact :said yprojecting bulb-part land force the bulb down toestablish electrical contact'withsaid cell.

2. A signal :device ilona fishing yrod'cmfmgirisi-ng va supporting member :formed `atone end ywith `a socket therein, a `cap for the lend of the socket formed :with a central -orifice ftherethrough, :an electric cell positioned inet-he socket With'its .central electrode directed l,toward vand spaced from the cap, :an 4,electric fbulb lofthescrevv stud type slidably positioned in vthe socket with `its bulb part extending through the ori-ce .in `the cap, :a coil spring engaging the :stud part vof the bulb and the Wall of A.the cell vto space .the terminal contact of the bulb from the centralelectrode of the cell, anda iishing rod supporting rest meinber resiliently:Supported:transverselyrof the supporting member above and spaced Lfrom the bulb, said rest member adapted to -be tilted :under `in- 4 creased pressure by the flsh'ing rod to contact said projecting bulb part and force the bulb down to establish electrical contact with said cell.

3. A supporting device for shing rod or line comprising a tubular supporting member adapted to lbe held in a vertical position, an abutment in the bore of said support to form a seat for a dry cell positioned in the bore at its upper end With .its centralelectrode.outwardly directed, a removable :cap for theupper end :ofV the support formed with a central orice therethrough, an electric light bulb of the threaded stud type of a size to permit it to slide freely in the tubular member .with itszbulb part extending outwardly through the orice in the cap, a coil spring engaging the stud of the bulb and the Wall of the `cell to space the central contact of the bulb abovethe central electrode of the cell, a clamp mounted on the upper end of the support and vertically adjustable thereon, an arcuate spring 'secured byv onen-.end ato said -clamp fand a 'rest 'memberssecured -by one :en'df'to the freeendlci said spring, saidrestimemberextending over the orice in .the capninnormalfspaced relationship to the end vofthebulb extending through said orifice, said rrest zmemberiformed `.withv a plurality of longitudinallyspaced:transverse guide `grooves. throughout `its length to :receive :and support `a shing ,rod andadaptedso be ,tilted downwardly under increased pressure by the fishing rod to contact said -outwardly .extending bulb part andrforce :the .bulb inwardly cf said supporting member-to :estahlishaelectrieal :contact #with said cell. RICHARD A. NAGLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references 'are of record in the le lof vthis patent:

'UNTIED #STATES PATENTS Massino Sept. 1l', .1951 

